VOID OF TOLERANCE-So, what’s been going on?
NONPOINT-Lately, we’ve been playing a lot of shows locally and opening
up for some national acts, we’re opening for PRO-PAIN, VOI VOD, and CRISIS
next week (Nov. 96). We’re breaking in a new singer which we replaced our
old singer from the “Generate” tape cus it just wasn’t panning out anymore.
Last night we went into the studio with him to record two new songs and
they sound really good. It’s like a total departure, at least vocally,
for the band. Musically it’s all staying the same but vocally its more
variety. There’s more in the voice, it’s not just one set heavy voice.
VOT-You guys are from Puerto Rico, mention about the transition to Florida
and the scene there?
NONPOINT-Well, the scene over there was kind of strange. When NONPOINT
(FACTOR) came out, Thrash was still big and we were a mix of technical
sounds, Seattle Grunge, with stuff like VOI VOD and BELIEVER and all those
bands no body listened to, since everybody in Peurto Rico listened to the
safe stuff, nobody would experiment into the underground. As far as the
music scene now, it’s dead. All their playing down there is Rock and Spanish.
We came back from P.R. in August doing a headlining show, the kids went
bizerek. I know the kids were hungry for some heavy stuff. Anyway, we played
a lot of shows down there as NONPOINT FACTOR and we thought about branching
out to the States. Two years before, me and the guitar player moved and
lived in Boston. we had another Thrash band but nothing happened, we returned
to P.R., got this new band going, we came back to the States and we’re
doing so much. The change is kind of akward. The people down here are very
differnt from where we came from but the people in the scene have supported
us. Things have grown for the band immensly. I think the move here was
very fruitful and hopefully it will help us along the way in searching
for a deal.
VOT-You mentioned on recording two new songs, tell us about those, are
they going to be for a new release?
NONPOINT-We’re hoping to use these two songs to shop to labels, cus
we feel their accessable enough for a label to pick ‘em up. we haven’t
sold out or anything, it’s just a slight change. The songs are called “Headgames”
and “Victim”. There’s so many things going on musically, these two songs
show so much power, just listening to the rough mixes last night my hairs
were just standing, just how powerful this stuff was coming about. VOT-You
mentioned a slight change in your sound, how do you see your progression?
NONPOINT-For prior stuff, every tape that we’ve done is what we felt at
the time, that’s what we wanted to write at the time and I think everything
that we’ve done has been a progression, I don’t think we’ve fallen backwards
in anyway. In the beginning we were confussed musically cus we brought
Alternative, Hardcore, Thrash Metal, Grunge; all these styles into one.
we were a mix of everything, we had six different songs that sounded like
six differnt bands. That showed us that we could play differnt things.
This is our fourth tape, “Generate”, and this shows a new era as for as
songwriting. we’ve evolved eminsly since our new members Hector and Mike
joined the band, they bought in so many ideas and so much enthusiasm. For
the more recent stuff. I can tell people that it’s going to be heavy as
always but incorporate actual singing. It’s definately going to be cool.
VOT-Who writes most of the lyrics?
NONPOINT-In the very beginning it’s always been me. I wrote mostly
all the lyrics because in Peurto Rico not everybody else knew English.
So I was forced to write lyrics. It’s always been me till our last singer
helped do some lyrics and then we both started doing it. Our guitar player
contributes sometines and the bass player contributes once in a blue-moon,
but his main thing is music. I write a lot of lyrics because a lot of stuff
happens to me. There’s always a differnt inspiration.
VOT-There very personal to you right?
NONPOINT-Yeah, there very, very personal. There’s one song off “Generate”
called ------ which deals with the death of my mother. It’s something I’ve
never gotten over. It’s really hard to say “I’m sorry” to a person who’s
not there anymore. And I never got to tell here I’m sorry, because I wasn’t
like the best kid in the world. It’s heart breaking everytime I play it.
I try to go as deep as that cus that’s just how I feel. On a general base
I really don’t like a lot of people, cus I see everybody as being fake
and just being close-minded. People don’t understand where I come from
a lot.
VOT-Do you read a lot?
NONPOINT-Not really, the last book I read was Dennis Rodman’s Bad As
I Wanna Be. I thought it was a very interesting book. There’s a lot of
pain in there. I’ve actually wrote a song about him, which I hope to submit
to him someday in the near future, called “DR91”. It deals with the agony
that he had to go through and I can relate to some of it. Here is a person
who busts his balls and ass to play and be somebody positive. And just
because he has tattoos and colors his hair, people turn it into a negative.
Yet they don’t see what he does 48min on the court (and his personal life
with a daughter-ed). That’s the only book I’ve gotten around to actually
reading. I mostly read fanzines and metal magazines.
VOT-So, what will be next for NONPOINT?
NONPOINT-hopefully we’ll be shopping for a deal. That would be the
next thing, to actually get a record deal. I think we’ve been involved
in the Underground long enough that we’ve established a name. There’s still
a lot of people that haven’t heard of us but I think NONPOINT has gotten
around. So the next thing is to keep writing songs, shop the tape, and
play as many shows as possible.
VOT-Well, I better run, thanks for the interview, and thing else to add? NONPOINT-We’ve pretty much covered every field of NONPOINT. This is my first interview over the phone, I kind of dig it more then having to type it out on a Word Processor, you can say so much more. Thanks Mark, keep in touch.